


One by One (I'll Knock You Out)

by prettywhiteclouds



Category: Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mass Effect, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Young Avengers
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-11
Updated: 2015-04-01
Packaged: 2018-02-16 22:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2286884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettywhiteclouds/pseuds/prettywhiteclouds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of drabbles with various MCU characters and pairings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Electric (Jane)

Her fingertips were on fire.  
  
 _Wait, what?_

Her fingertips were on fire and she could feel the flames starting to lick up her arms.  
  
 _No, there’s no fire. Get up, get up, get up!_

She rolled onto her side and tried to push herself up, but the contact between her palm and the cold floor only intensified the burning sensation dancing across her skin. She couldn’t open her eyes, but she swore she saw sparks across the lids. All she heard was ringing. She felt panic rising and constricting in her chest and she felt her heart skip a beat, but then her mom’s voice clearly in her head.  
  
 _“Don’t let it take over. You have control. Breathe.”_  
  
So she focused on just that - breathing. In and out. In and out. She tried opening her eyes again. It worked, but she still couldn’t see much.   
  
_Okay, I’m still in the lab. But what happened?_

The lights had been turned off and broken glass littered the floor. She cautiously placed her palm down again to push herself into a seated position. Pain shot through and up her arm, but she kept pushing. She groaned (or she was sure she did as all she could hear was ringing.) Sitting was only slightly better than lying down. Less contact with the floor, but she could see more of the lab and how destroyed it was. She couldn’t tell which hurt more.  
  
“Jane!” The voice was muffled and too quiet, but she heard it and turned her head to look for the source. _Darcy_. The younger woman stood outside the lab with her hands fisted against the glass window. _Why is she crying like that?_ Darcy had mascara streaking down her red, damp, face. Jane furrowed her brow and looked around the lab, though not too quickly because she was starting to feel a little nauseous. Thankfully most of the equipment was still intact, but the plastic containers and turn near her looked... melted.  
  
She remembered talking to Tony earlier. He asked if she had some spare time to look at a prototype he’d developed for Natasha - an electrifying weapon, like an ultra taser. Jane had worked on armor for the rest of the team before, to help protect them when Thor utilized lightning in battle, and she was to add similar protection around the casing for the new weapon to protect Natasha.  
  
 _Something went wrong. Why is Darcy crying? What did I do?_ Panic rose again and Jane shook her head in an attempt to clear it. _I’m alive. Alive, thinking, and seeing. I can move. It’s okay._  
  
“J-Jarvis,” she croaked. Her voice felt too small and her throat too dry. “Jarvis?” She blinked and concentrated on listening through the ringing.  
  
“-ster, I am going to open the doors. For everyone’s safety, please do not touch anyone. I am instructing them of the same.” The AI’s voice sounded like he was in a tin can. “You have been electrocuted, but the electricity is not leaving your body.”  
  
“How? That’s impossible.” Jane moved to pick up a metal clipboard on the ground near her. Her thoughts were moving like molasses and she struggled to connect her experiments with her current state. As soon as she touched the clipboard, a shock ran through her. “What the hell?”  
  
“My thoughts exactly, Foster.” Jane turned to see Tony and Darcy entering the lab. Darcy wasn’t crying anymore, but her eyes and nose were still ruby red.  
  
“You scared the shit out of me, boss,” Darcy said, sniffling as she walked towards Jane. "You promised not to do that again." Tony held out an arm to hold her back.  
  
“She’s a living taser, kid, and not the kind you like. I don’t need you accidentally dead right now.”  
  
“Can you turn the lights on?” Jane asked. She decided to try standing. It hurt like hell to move and her skin still felt like it was going to burn off. She used a nearby desk as leverage and was soon vertical. “There’s glass everywhere and I need to look at the equipment. Figure out what happened…”  
  
The lights slowly flickered on and Darcy gasped. Jane looked up and saw Tony staring at her like she had sprouted another head. “What? What’s wrong? What is it?” she asked, lifting a shaking hand to her face. It felt like her face was still attached and she didn’t feel anything weird. She held her hand in front of her to check for evidence of an injury and inhaled sharply.

_Holy shit._

“Jane, don’t freak out.” Darcy held her hands up and seemed to be fighting back more tears. “We’ll fix it! You’ll be okay!”  
  
Jane stared at her hand. It was covered in navy blue lines that looked like lightning bolts she had seen in the desert so many times. She exhaled, realizing she’d been holding her breath, and felt a ball of worry curl in her stomach. Stumbling to the right, Jane looked at her reflection in the glass window facing the hallway. The same markings covered her face and her eyes… the pupils were glowing. She looked down at her hand again and clenched it into a fist. Either the burning sensation was beginning to subside or she was getting used to it.  
  
Jane frowned as a spark jumped from her fist to the desk lamp nearest to her.

“I’m getting the feeling that this isn’t something you fix, Darce.”

 


	2. Do You? (Darcy/Sam)

It was the kind of heat that stifled your lungs and necessitated a second shower exactly two minutes after stepping outside. Darcy groaned and held her (formerly) iced coffee to her forehead. Spending her summer break visiting Jane in New York had sounded like a good plan a month ago. Hanging out on rooftops and hitting every tourist spot with one of her best friends? Amazing.

Well, it was until Jane made some kind of breakthrough and now Darcy hadn’t seen her in three days, leaving the former intern to wander the city in search of entertainment. And she would have been happy to look around by herself in normal circumstances. But this humidity? It tortured her sanity and hair.

Darcy pulled the now-also-hot coffee cup from her head and tried to angrily throw it in the garbage next to her, but she lacked the energy to even do that properly and the cup bounced off the edge of the bin. She groaned again and started to peel herself from the park bench she had been melting on for the past half hour.

Just as she reached the cup, which had stopped rolling in the middle of the path a couple feet in front of her bench, a jogger stomped down on it and sent her caramel coffee spraying all over.

“Holy shit,” she yelped. “Hot! Sticky! Jesus!” Coffee covered her shirt and dripped off her glasses.

The runner stopped and ran back to her side, with a look of despair on his face and coffee on his white Nikes.

“I am so sorry, ma’am,” he said, moving his hands around like he wanted to help her up but didn’t know how.

Darcy stood and punted the coffee cup towards the trash can. 

“It’s okay.” She tried to clean her glasses with her shirt, but settled for the back of her shorts and it was the only part of her clothing not completely drenched. “I wasn’t sure if I could possibly be more uncomfortable, but now I know.”

She put her glasses back on and looked at the jogger. He was frowning but adorable. Darcy knew he’d be straight-up hot with a smile. She grinned and felt a blush creep up. Hopefully coffee covered part of it. His frown slowly turned into a grin as well. Well, I was definitely right, she thought.

“I’d offer to buy you another coffee,” he said. “But I get the sense that you didn’t want that one anyway?”

“Um, yeah. It’s way too obnoxiously hot for that anyway. Plus, I look atrocious right now,” she said and gestured to her shirt. 

He shook his head and smirked. “I wouldn’t say that... but I’ll agree on the heat. Ice cream instead?”

“Ice cream is never a question.” Darcy could feel the sticky caramel coffee drying on her skin. “If I can stop and change on the way, that is.” She stuck her hand out towards him. “Darcy, by the way.”

“Sam,” he said, taking her hand and shaking it. His skin was hot too, but she didn’t mind. 

\-----------

They walked the four blocks back to the tower and talked about what Darcy had done in NYC so far and the rest of her to-do list. Sam was also new to the city and helped her with his own recommendations.  
Darcy stopped in front of the tower and motioned toward the front doors. 

 

“I’ll just change and clean up real quick. Security here is a bitch, though, so you can wait here if you’d like.” She didn’t know the guy anyway and inviting him up would not be a great idea. Hiding from Tony Stark in her current state would be hard enough as it was.

“Wait,” Sam said. He looked at the tower, confused, and back at Darcy. “You’re staying here?”

“Well… yeah…,” Darcy squinted at him. “I’m staying with a friend who lives here.”

“Lives here?” He pointed at the tower and then placed his hands on his hips. “Lives here in _this_ tower?” She nodded. 

“Yes, Sam.” Darcy, still squinting, looked at the tower again to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating in the heat and had gone to the wrong place. “Is that… bad?” 

“Bad? No,” Sam replied, chuckling. “Funny, though, because I live here.”

Darcy gave him the side-eye. “You live here? You live in _this_ tower?”

Sam covered his face with his hands and was now laughing loudly. 

“Well, I’m going to go inside while you recover. And then we’ll sort this out over ice cream. My brain is too fried to figure out what the hell is going on right now.” Darcy left the giggling Sam outside and quickly walked inside. The lobby was wonderfully cool and Darcy attempted to stand directly below an air vent while she waited for an elevator.

“Sorry about that,” Sam said, appearing at her side. “This is just pure gold. Though, I’m not going to wait outside my own building while you change. Might as well go up myself.”

The elevator doors opened and the two stepped inside. Darcy wondered if now might be the time to check if Sam was legit or some creepo murderer. She moved towards the floor buttons and innocently asked, “Which floor?”

“What’s up, Jarvis?” Sam said, looking directly at Darcy.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Wilson,” Jarvis replied. Darcy’s jaw dropped. “Would you like to go home?”

“Yes, please.”

“Me too, Jarvis,” Darcy said, not taking her eyes off Sam.

“Of course, Miss Lewis.” The elevator started its ascent and Darcy leaned back against the wall.

“Seriously though? You've _gotta_ be fucking joking,“ she said, raking a hand through her hair. “What’s your thing? Super soldier, spy, suit, science?”

Sam leaned against the opposite wall. “None, technically. I work with Cap. You?”

“None. I’m visiting Jane.” Sam nodded and seemed to be holding back a grin. “Go ahead, say it.”

“You’re the one who tased Thor, then?”

Darcy looked down at her stained shoes. “It’s a good thing I’m proud of that since I’ll be hearing about it for the rest of my life.”

The elevator dinged and the doors opened to the common room on her - their - level. Darcy started towards her temporary room, then stopped and turned back to look at Sam. “I’m going to change and - if it’s not too weird at this point - we can eat ice cream here? If Thor didn’t inhale it already, that is.”

Sam stepped towards her and if he were anyone else she would have punched him out of her personal space, but she quickly decided that she liked him being near. “Definitely not weird. Better, actually, since I wanted to meet taser girl anyway.” He winked and walked backwards away from her, towards where she knew the Captain’s residence was. “And I’ll bring my popsicle stash since I kind of owe you anyway.” He turned and disappeared around a corner.

Darcy stared after him, ruminating over her luck and chewing on her bottom lip.

The elevator dinged again and Jane rushed out. “Darcy! I’m the worst ever! I’m going to make it up to you, I sw-” Darcy put her hand over Jane’s mouth.

“Jane.” Darcy slowly lowered her hand. “Go back to the lab.” Jane looked at Darcy with a mixture of disbelief and relief.

“Are you sure? I mean, if you’re sure.” Darcy narrowed her eyes and pointed to the elevator. “If you say so. Okay, bye!” Jane laughed maniacally and grabbed a box of pop tarts from nearby kitchen counter before rushing back inside the elevator. “You said it and you can’t take it back,” she yelled as the doors closed again.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Janey,” Darcy said as she walked back to Jane’s rooms, suddenly very grateful for New York in the summer.


	3. Dawn of the Evil Chainsaw Killers (Bucky/Darcy, Kate/America/Steve)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or, "Why Darcy Isn't Allowed to Plan Vacations Anymore."  
> If you're gonna go psycho killer on a bunch of hormonal young adults, it's best to make sure they're not superheroes first.
> 
> (Previously a standalone - turns out it's a drabble.)

"We be all night! Looooove! LOOOOO-"

"NO." Bucky reached from the backseat of the rented SUV and jabbed the power button on the stereo. The knob cracked down the middle.

"-ove." Kate looked at Bucky in the rearview mirror and pouted. "Thanks, Robocop. I'd rather not pay for damages on this thing, you know."

"We've been listening to Beyoncé for an hour, Kate," he said, closing his eyes and trying to enjoy the relative silence. The backseat was crammed and uncomfortable - Kate's assault on everyone's ears wasn't helping anyway. "Who put you and Darce up front anyway? You gals shouldn't even be allowed near the radio."

Darcy Lewis swung around to glare at him from the front passenger seat. "You're one to talk, Buckaroo. I've heard you singing along to Michael Bublé." Bucky winked in response and Darcy giggled.

"Ugh, stop it," Kate said. "Besides we're out-of-range for radio stations now, and _someone_ only brought one CD. So blame Miss Chavez, not me."

"Way to sell me out," America said from the middle of the backseat. Despite knowing that she'd be cramped between Bucky and Steve, neither of whom could be called slender by any means, America had volunteered for her spot. Either Darcy and Bucky would have started making out in the back, traumatizing everyone, or Kate and Bucky would have killed each other. She leaned towards Steve to say _What are we doing here?_ but he was completely asleep, head leaned back on the seat and mouth wide open.

It was only a week ago that Steve had stomped into the common room floor at Avengers Tower and loudly declared, "I need a vacation." Bucky and Darcy had been concerned, of course. Steve Rogers was the type to quietly deal with his own business and slip away if he needed too, so this had to be serious. Darcy looked up nearby vacation rentals and had several options ready for him within a few minutes. America and Kate had joined them for dinner later that night and immediately said "hell yes" to Steve's chosen plan - a long weekend at a secluded cabin, no villains or crises or near apocalypses. Spending their days swimming in a lake and their nights eating s'mores by the fire... It sounded amazing.

Luckily, the drive only lasted a couple hours longer and the group piled out of the car with most of their sanity intact. Bags in hand, they stood in front of a cozy-looking cabin set deep in the forest in upstate New York. The cabin sat on the edge of a peaceful lake and had its own dock with a boat launch. There was a picnic table out front not far from a fire pit surrounded by well-worn adirondack chairs.

Darcy studied a woodcarving next to the front door while America turned over a paddleboat resting against the side of the building. The carving was built into the wall and showed a bear ripping into a deer with its claws.

"Not exactly 'Welcome Home', but okay, it's nature," she said and couldn't help but shiver as she walked over to help America, who did not seem to actually need any. The guys unloaded the bags and coolers from the SUV and placed them on the patio. Darcy stepped in front of the door again and surveyed the group. Kate and Steve looked excited and impatient, Bucky - being Bucky - was cataloging their surroundings, and America just stared at her fingernails. "Well, without any further ado..."

She unlocked the front door and swung it open, revealing a spacious living room and a decently-sized (for a two-bedroom cabin) kitchen. Kate ran past Darcy toward the bedrooms and peeked her head in each.

"Dibs on the master," she called out from the larger of the two as she belly-flopped down on the bed. A cloud of dust puffed around her as she did so, making her cough. "Oh gross. Didn't you say this place got cleaned, Darcy?" 

"No, I didn't."

Kate rolled off the bed and onto the floor, landing on her feet. She walked around the room, opening drawers and peeking behind picture frames. She checked under the bed last because _dead bodies - duh._ America entered the room just as Kate was pulling herself back out from under the bed.

"Why do you have an axe?" America pointed at the rusted tool in Kate's hand. Kate tested the weight of the axe and tossed it from hand to hand.

"What? You didn't bring one?" She quirked an eyebrow at the curly-haired woman. "Good thing someone left one under the bed. Totally useful and not terrifying." America grabbed the axe from Kate's hand before she could toss it again and placed the tool on the nearby nightstand. 

"We're a little far out for an emergency tetanus shot, Kate."

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Kate winked and walked out of the bedroom past Steve, who was leaning against the door frame.

"Your girlfriend is weird," America said to Steve as she watched Kate open one of the coolers and grab a bag of Doritos.

" _My_ girlfriend?" Steve balked. "Why is she only my girlfriend when she's weird?"

"You're weird too," she said, pushing him out of the way (and he let her) to follow Kate.

The next few hours were spent unpacking and swimming in the lake. The weather had been uncommonly hot, so the cool water was a blessing. The girls took turns playing chicken with Steve and Bucky on the bottom, but gave up when the boys decided to just chase each other around the lake. Darcy was the first back on land after declaring herself sufficiently "prune-y." She walked back up to the cabin and laughed to herself as she listened to Bucky's yelps from the lake. Steve really liked grabbing people's legs underwater - and Bucky found it hilarious when he'd done it to Darcy. As much as she loved Bucky, Darcy thought that he needed a taste of his own medicine sometimes.

She opened the front door and started to step inside, then slowly stepped back out and closed the door.

"What the fuck?! James," she yelled, suddenly feeling like the heat was getting more oppressive. She tried to steady her breathing while she listened to Bucky as he swam to the edge of the lake and ran to her. He stood next to Darcy and joined her in staring at the door. The rest of the group followed soon after, Kate the only one out-of-breath.

"What's going on? What - wait. How did that get out here?" Kate rubbed her face with her hands and sighed. "Can't we just have one little break? Is it really too much to ask for?"

America stepped forward and braced one hand on the door frame. With the other, she pulled on the handle of the rusty axe, which had been used to pin a dead bird. The bird fell to the ground with a soft _thud_ and Darcy whimpered.

"Okay, I can put up with doom-bots and aliens," Darcy said, grabbing onto Bucky's arm. "But I draw the line at psychopaths in the woods. Seriously. We need to get the hell out of here." Steve jogged over to the car and checked the outside and undercarriage for any damage. He walked back to the group and nodded to Bucky, then the cabin door.

"Bucky and I will check inside. You watch out here." He shook his head at the car. "Brake line's cut. We're going to need some help."


	4. Dying for the Cause (Steve/FemShep)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a couple of super soldiers, kickin' ass and takin' names.

Elysium, 2176.

"You fucking lying, cheating sack of shit!"  
His fist swung out and she caught him in the face with a right cross. The man crashed into the table behind him and fell to the floor, bringing beer bottles and a bowl of peanuts with him.

"I'd say someone is a _very_ sore loser." She shook her head and grabbed her winnings from the edge of the pool table. He clutched what she hoped was a broken jaw and spat at her feet. "What would your mama think, hearing you talk like that?" she called over her shoulder.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" he shouted, drawing the attention of whatever bar patrons weren't already looking at them.

She turned, glaring, and clenched her hands into fists at her side. She'd been trying to keep her anger in check lately and, admittedly, hanging out in a bar and taking some asshole's money didn't help. "Look, buddy, you don't really want to do this. I'm gonna finish my drink and leave. You should clean up your mess and do the same."

He started for her and she held up her left hand, ready to defend herself. Her right ached by her side and she wasn't up to breaking it on his head. She could still easily take him out, but then she'd be outing herself as a professional and cause even more trouble.

Before he could swing at her again, a commotion broke out near the bar's entrance and someone screamed. Her hand went straight to the pistol concealed against her inner thigh. This was a bar full of colony workers and tourists on their last credits, so it saw its fair share of fights and robberies. She'd been present for a handful the last few days and now a participant. This, however, felt different and wrong. 

The screaming continued and she was moving forward. The main entrance couldn't be seen directly from the billiard room, so she moved towards the half - wall dividing the areas and peered around the corner. There were men, mainly Batarian, filing into the bar with full armor and weapons. Everyone stood stock- still as the men scanned the bar, guns raised. She quickly dropped out of sight. 

"Shit," she groaned, flicking her omni-tool on as she walked back into the billiard room and searched for an escape route. "Last day of my goddamn shore leave, of course."

One of the windows at the back of the room had a loose hinge; she popped it open and climbed through with ease. The building was only one story so she landed outside quickly and silently. She stuck her head back in through the window and looked at the people standing around in shock.

"Oh, by the way, I'm Second Lieutenant Jane Shepard of the Alliance. It looks like we're getting raided. You may want to follow me."

-

Three days later, Jane Shepard found herself holed up in the dining room of a hotel with one hundred and four scared civilians. Few of them had held a gun before, only a handful knew how to use one, and none had combat experience. Jane spent what little time she had aside from patrolling the hotel perimeter to teach each person how to defend themselves. 

They were running too low on water and people were getting anxious for any news from outside. Jane grabbed Milo, a colony kid who helped her keep the civilians somewhat sane, and took him aside. She hadn't come across any other Alliance marines, and the communications array was knocked out on day one. The raider forces rounded up civilians left and right to rob, kill, kidnap, and God knows what else. Jane hated being made responsible for other lives, especially ones that couldn't defend themselves. But what other choice did she have? 

"I'm going on a supply run and I might be gone awhile. I'll check for comms again and look around for survivors, but I'll be back, okay?" He nodded in understanding and she patted his shoulder. "Keep it quiet and don't let them eat each other." She winked and walked toward the hallway. 

Jane had boarded up most of the doors and windows, but not enough to be obvious to anyone outside. It was hard enough trying to conceal this many people - she didn't need to advertise where they were hiding. The door to the hallway wasn't barricaded. If anyone got that close, she figured a dining table against the door wouldn't keep them out much longer anyway.

She took out her pistol and walked quietly down the hallway to the lobby. This was the same hotel she'd checked into only a week ago. It was her first real shore leave after enlisting four years ago. _Figures,_ she thought as she kicked an empty suitcase out of the way, scattering tour brochures and broken glass. _Fly halfway across the galaxy and pay thousands of credits so I can do the same ol' shit in paradise._

She scavenged the hotel down to its last cracker on the second day, so she left as soon as she was sure no one new had crept in. The entrance to the hotel looked out onto expansive gardens and one road leading of the property. Jane used the scope on her pistol to check for any movement. Typically, she would have called up a program on omni-tool to scan for life forms, but she wasn't going to risk pinging on someone else's radar right now. With comms down, stealth was the priority.

Jane walked near the road for about a kilometer, keeping inside the tree line so she could hide if necessary. The town was visible at this point and she could make out some movement near the buildings 500 meters ahead of her. Bringing her scope back to her eye, Jane watched figures move in and out of the structures. Her specialty was moving in the shadows so she felt no unease about slipping through unnoticed. But finding what she was looking for? Purification tablets, a filter, or even bottled water... Sneaking in was easy, but the thought of coming back empty-handed had her stomach in knots.

She watched through her scope for a couple of minutes, counting bodies and memorizing positions. Smearing a handful of mud on her face, she swore at the smell and longed for her omni-tool's cloaking mechanism. 

"When I said I wanted a spa day," she mumbled as she adjusted the empty pack on her back. "Not quite what I meant."

She moved along the tree line again and reached the first building quickly. There weren't any raiders in the immediate vicinity ( _Amateurs_.), which made her job a lot easier right now. Jane darted around a couple corners slipped past the buildings on the outer edge of town. She'd gone through them previously and the most important supplies wouldn't be kept out here anyway. 

The buildings out here were mainly service and transportation related. She needed stores and residential, which were in the center of town. This meant more eyes and guns looking for someone like her, someone getting desperate.

Keeping her gun close, Jane crouched behind two stacked empty crates and listened. She could hear voices in the distance moving closer to her hiding spot.

"- and I don't care what he says," a gruff voice said. "I'm not gonna be here like a sitting du-"

It was cut off with a sharp snap and a thud. Jane held her breath. She heard someone else gasp and it was answered with what was definitely a hard punch.

She exhaled slowly and as quietly as possible. Whoever just took out these two could easily be another raider. Their kind wasn't known for loyalty. Clutching her pistol tight, she waited for footsteps. Nothing. Another slow breath in and out. She only had her pistol and a small knife on her - not nearly enough to take on a gang. 

"Come out from behind there," someone said, with more authority than Jane liked. Her cover was blown, so she slipped the knife out from her thigh holster and gripped it in her free hand. 

She didn't move. "Not keen on taking orders from a slaver," she replied.

"Well, good. I'm not a slaver anyway. Alliance." He laughed - short and quiet. 

Jane rose and aimed the gun directly at his head. He was taller than her and looked a good deal heavier. This fight was going to hurt. "And I'm supposed to believe that because...?" She waved her knife- wielding hand towards him and shook her head. "I'd rather assume the worst than get packed in a crate and shipped off to Kar'shan."

He looked at her steadily and moved to grab something from a pocket on his chest. She stepped towards him and nodded towards her gun. 

"One wrong move and I'm taking you down, sucker."

He pulled his hand from the pocket and dangled a chain with two dog tags attached. Jane swallowed down the acid that had been rising in her throat at the thought of fighting this guy. 

The man held his hands up. "Captain Steve Rogers, Special Forces." Jane's eyes swept to his right arm where his designation would have been. "I'm was trying to blend in. N7 raiders aren't too common in these parts."

Jane glared at him. The excuse made sense and she was more than a little desperate for some help out of this beautiful hellhole. She let out an exasperated sigh and lowered her gun.

"What the fuck took so long?"


	5. Dying for the Cause 2 (Steve/FemShep)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, lots of liberties taken with the events surrounding the Skyllian Blitz. Let's just cover the entirety of this with AU on everything/everyone/infinity.

Rogers was quiet, too quiet for someone his size. Jane liked that because she was also too quiet and hated when her fellow marines blew cover when they couldn’t _stop fucking stomping._

They continued on Jane’s path towards the buildings at the center of the city. She still needed supplies and, knowing how quickly the Alliance worked, Jane knew it would be awhile before the calvary arrived. Rogers’ goal was to fix the comms and he seemed very determined on doing so as soon as possible. He crept ahead of her and she lengthened her strides to keep up. Jane picked up a twig and lobbed it at his back, signaling him to slow down when he turned to look at her.

“I’m runnin’ on rations here,” she panted. “And I’m dehydrated. We need to move slower if I’m going to be any use in a fight.”

Rogers nodded. “Alright, Shepard. We can rest here. Five minutes.” She sat on a piece of broken cement and he handed her an MRE from his pocket. 

“You’ve been holding out on me, Rogers?”

“Wouldn’t want to make things too easy for you.” He smirked and turned his back to her to stand guard.

Jane pulled her water bag from the clip on her side and downed the rest of its contents. She wiped the sweat from her brow and looked at Rogers, studying the back of his head. He was larger than most N7s she’d encountered, not that she’d met many. She noted how his blond hair, a rarity, had faint patches of grey at the temples. Jane smirked. In another time and place, Captain Rogers would have been just right for a good shore leave. She shook her head. _God, I need to shoot something._

“Better?” Rogers said over his shoulder.

“Yes, sir.”

“Let’s move out, then.”

\---------

The pair continued their slow crawl through town, stopping at each building to check for anything of use. Jane appreciated having someone taller than her this time around - she’d missed a few supplies sitting at the back of the top shelves. 

“You are a treasure,” she said as she packed cans of beans into her pack. “Any way I could carry you in my pocket and bring you out when I need to reach something up high?”

Rogers chuckled, shaking his head. “You know, with as many advances as their have been in the last hundred years… I’m actually shocked that there aren’t any commercially available shrink rays.”

“Commercially?” Jane raised an eyebrow at him.

He scratched the back of his head and looked around the room. “Yeah, well, if they did exist, then I probably wouldn’t be allowed to talk about it.”

Jane watched him walk across the abandoned kitchen to check under the sink. “I’m sure you’ve got a lot of secrets, Rogers. Most N7s do.”

“Likely more than most,” he said. He frowned. “Hazard of the job, I guess.”

“Hope they give you a good benefits package.”

“Keeps me from going senile.”

“Come on, Rogers, you don’t look that _old._ ” Jane laughed and the smirk returned to his face.

“I’m flattered.” He stared at her for a moment, then moved to the window and looked out onto the street. “All clear, Shepard. Move out.”

 

\--------

An hour later found them on the rooftop of a building 300 meters from the town center. Jane’s right eye was glued to her scope, counting raiders on the ground and memorizing their routes. Steve studied blueprints on his omni-tool. 

“Comm center is on the third floor. I’ll give you an option here, Shepard.” He glanced at her pack. “You’ve got civilians back there. If I can get in and get the comms up - “

Jane held up her hand. “Really sorry to interrupt you, sir. Permission to speak very freely?”

Rogers looked wary. “Permission… granted?”

“Thanks and, yeah, hell no,” she said, setting the pack on the ground and taking out the last of her explosive rounds. “If those comms aren’t up, I’m just sitting here waiting to die or worse. I need to know who else is out here and the Alliance needs ground info. This is the last shot and I’m not gonna march my ass back to the hotel while you go in alone. Sir.” 

Jane shoved an explosive round into her pistol and tried her best to ignore the shocked look from Rogers.

“Is there a problem, sir,” she asked, feeling her cheeks heat up. Jane hated that she got riled up so easily. Adrenaline was already starting to pump through her and biotic energy creeped from her fingertips.

“No. In fact, you’re welcome to join me. You’re a good marine and I’m glad it’s you going in with me.”

Now the blush was definitely there and Jane cursed her redheaded ancestors. “Alright - don’t need to sit here and get sappy about it.” She rubbed her scope with the edge of her sleeve and waited for Rogers to look away. He didn’t.

Jane sighed. “What’s the plan, sir? Aside from avoiding emotion, I’d also like to avoid getting shot on a rooftop.”

“Do you have the routes down?” He pointed toward the patrolling batarians. Jane nodded. “Good. You tell me which ones you can take out and we’ll split them. Rendezvous at the western tower, move up to the second floor… and comms are here -,” he pointed at a spot on the blueprint. “Should be simple with the two of us.”

“Simple, right.” Jane nodded towards the raiders. “I’ll take the short ones.”

\--------

Getting to the comm center was, in fact, simple. It was _fun._ Jane had never felt so in sync with another soldier. Rogers knew what she wanted him to do before she even finished gesturing to him, and vice versa. They complemented each other - she snuck in before him to silently take out whomever she could, and he used brunt force and his size to take down enemies. Rogers was a like a human krogan. But, she noted, he was really good at the stealthy route too and Jane could knock heads around with the best of them.

They were perfect for each other, and Jane was terrified.

Rogers reached the comm console and started using his omni-tool to run diagnostics. Jane sat on the floor by him and wiped sweat from her face.

She tried, albeit not very hard, to not look at Rogers’ profile.

“Who are you?” She watched for a change in his face and was rewarded with yet another frown.

“You already know my name,” he said, typing on the console again. “Did you hit your head too hard on a batarian skull?”

“I think you know what I mean, sir.” Jane leaned back into the console and closed her eyes. “Aside from being named after a superhero, I know nothing about you. We make a pretty good team.”

“I work alone,” he said quietly. “And the less you know, the better.”

Jane kept her eyes closed despite an intense urge to see his face again. Rogers seemed to wear his emotions openly and it was uncomfortable for her. Where she was from, that was the worst kind of weakness and ripe for exploitation. 

They were silent while Rogers continued to work for a few more minutes, then the comms came back on and he was rattling off commands to Alliance HQ. When he finished, turned and leaned back against the console.

“I didn’t just say you were a good marine to puff you up earlier. You’re one of the best I’ve seen. If you’re interested in going for N7, I’ll put in a word for you. Don’t think you’ll need it after this, though.”

Jane opened her eyes and Rogers was looking at her, concern etched on his features.

“Thank you, sir. I’d appreciate that.” Standing from the floor, Jane wiped the dirt off her hand and held it over for him to shake. “I hope we can work together again soon.”

Rogers grabbed her hand and shook it firmly, grinning. “I do too.”

\--------

“... and the Star of Terra, awarded to Staff Lieutenant Jane Shepard.”

The Admiral placed the medal over her head and around her neck - it was heavy and the lights near the podium were hot. Jane had felt the sweat forming on her neck ten minutes ago. She shook the Admiral’s hand and smiled for a picture, then walked back to her seat on the stage, praising every god that had ever been praised for the lack of medal recipient speeches. There were four other marines receiving awards today and she watched them smile at the crowd, surely seeing their friends and family out there.

Jane herself surveyed the crowd, looking for a familiar face. She knew a lot of the Alliance personnel in the audience and had seen some of the political figures before, but there were a lot of new faces and too many cameras. The urge to dig a hole straight through the stage needled at her. 

She had almost finished her quick sweep when she saw a tall man with cropped blond hair to the side of the stage. Jane turned her face towards him and winked, that side of her face away from the crowd. Rogers stifled a laugh but she saw his small grin.

The ceremony finished a couple of minutes later and Jane spent the next thirty shaking the hands of far too many people and taking an equal number of pictures. She finally managed to sneak away to the service hallway, where she leaned back against the wall and undid the top buttons on her dress uniform. Jane heard footsteps coming around the corner near here and quickly stood up straight. Rogers turned the corner and she relaxed again.

“Never did care for the attention myself, either,” he said, patting her shoulder. “Too hot up there and too much pressure to not trip.”

Jane let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, was never interested in the ‘glory’ part of the job. I’d rather just get another shore leave to make up for the last one.”

“Well,” Rogers said. He pulled an envelope from his pocket and held it out to her. “I think you’ll get more autonomy soon anyway. Congratulations.”

She took the envelope from him and weighed it in her palm. “ICT?” Jane couldn’t help the flush of biotics from her excitement. Rogers took a step back from her. “Sorry. Just a little overwhelmed.”

“I understand. Now, I’m on assignment solo most of the time, but I’m sure we’ll train together at some point. Good luck, Shepard.” He walked back around the corner and was gone. Jane looked at the envelope and turned it over multiple times, expecting it to disappear during one of the revolutions. Thinking back on her childhood and the beginning of her Alliance career, Jane remembered all of the people who told her she wouldn’t amount to anything. Once a rat, always a rat. She’d proved them wrong so many times now - what was one more on the pile?

Rogers was just plus.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to offer prompts in the comments or via [my tumblr](http://prettywhiteclouds.tumblr.com)).  
> 


End file.
